Inadvertently Terrorizing Chickens

January 12, 2020

Mukdahan to Chanuman

In the middle of the night our air conditioner in Huanum Hotel was making a noise that didn’t sound good. The noise slowly got worse, meaning louder, and squeakier until it just quit altogether. I figured at that hour it was probably cool enough outside to open the window. It was a large sliding window and actually had a corresponding sliding screen. We have been so frustrated about the lack of screens in our hotel rooms. Often it has been cool enough at night to open the windows but we can’t because we really don’t want to be bit by mosquitoes. But this time we were in luck.

I slid the glass over and slid the screen in place of it. When I slid the screen it made a loud screeching sound that was remarkably similar to the screech a night hawk would make. The chickens next door agreed and they started to cluck loudly and nervously. Their clucking went on forever. We laid in our beds unable to go back to sleep because of the noisy chickens! We talked about how dumb chickens must be because if you hear a killer nearby wouldn’t it be best to be silent?! We laid there laughing about how I had inadvertently terrorized a bunch of chickens in the middle of the night. I never know what’s going to happen next on this trip! I could never dream this stuff up. A window screen sounding like a killer hawk?!!

So, that was our night’s entertainment. Eventually the chickens went back to sleep, probably a fitful sleep, on guard that a killer hawk would take one of them at any minute. Poor chickens.

We rolled out of the old Chinese hotel fairly early and were surprised to find a bike path separate from highway 2034 as we left town. The bike path was deteriorating pretty badly in places but still was preferable to riding on the highway and also safer. The bike path continued for six miles. Then we cut toward the river on a small road that was so quiet that for another six miles we saw nearly no vehicles. Again, I wondered why there are not more cyclists from all over the world riding here. The countryside is amazingly peaceful and the Mekong River is the perfect natural feature to follow, always changing its character as it flows south.

Unexpected bike path just south of Mukdahan.

The surface was bad in spots but still better than being on the highway in my opinion.

We encountered a few motor bikes on the bike path but no cars.

There were some dead ends we could see on Google Maps and the going was slower when searching for small roads that go through. If we can see they don’t go more than a couple of miles before we have to go back out to the larger road then we don’t take them in the first place. But we actually found plenty near the river.

This kind of concrete road is common in the middle of nowhere anywhere in rural Thailand. I've never known a country with more excellent little roads for farmers. They are great for cyclists too.

One of the hundreds of tributaries to the Mekong. Most of these small rivers are not really flowing this time of year.

Everywhere we have gone in Thailand we have seen failed and deserted coffee shops. Some are quite modern and nice but now just sitting empty. It doesn’t take long for a place to deteriorate in the tropics so it’s sad to see. We stopped at one of the nicer modern ones with lots of windows, nicely designed. It was right on a secluded place on the river. No one was around and the door was even unlocked. A place like that in The States would be vandalized quickly but here there don’t seem to be vandals. The weather is what will destroy a place. I went inside and used the toilet but it felt strange to be in such a nice abandoned place.

We had a great little snack break at one of the outside tables of that place. As we ate Clif bars we watched white caps fighting with the current of the river. The wind had really picked up and was the strongest of the trip. High winds are something we almost never see over here. It was from the northeast which meant it was a side wind for us and not too bad for riding.

Our snack stop at a deserted coffee shop.

From there we returned to the main road where we met a Japanese man cycling. I think that’s about all he was doing since he said he had very little time and had to get back to work in Japan. He was hoping to make it to Nakhon Phanom. That was another 80 miles and it was not early in the day. Not much earlier I had been wondering why we don’t see more foreign cyclists but after meeting this man I was wondering why anyone would cycle in such a way. I wondered how much culture he could possibly experience if all he did was cycle long distances everyday. But few people go as slowly as we do so I guess it takes all types.

Frangipani lose their leaves in the winter but keep blooming.

On the main road. This time of year this type of grass nods in the wind and all the seed heads get stuck and tangled together. I wonder if the plants know they are supposed to do that for better propagation. But I have no idea if it is better for propagation.

Seed heads of grasses sticking together from being blown in the wind.

We stopped for lunch on the main road and actually ordered pad Thai. We hardly ever get it when we are in Thailand because there are so many other things that we like better, but it is rather excellent.

Chanuman is not much of a town. I think there must have been a small town near the river at one time but then, some time ago, 2034 was built a mile or more inland. The road enticed businesses in its direction spreading the already sparse town out even more thinly.

There is a large market near the highway and when we pulled in there was absolutely nothing going on inside or out because it was obvious by all the trash lying around that some huge market or festival had taken place the night before or maybe even that morning. People were attempting to clean up the trash but there was a lot of it.

I was parched because it was yet another day over 100F in the sun on the road. Normally Andrea is the one wanting an iced coffee at that point but instead it was I. The only stand still open in the parking lot was a tiny coffee stand. We wheeled across the vast parking lot/garbage dump to the stand.

The main market and biggest building in Chanuman.

While we were waiting for my coffee a woman approached us and asked where we were going to stay. We told her of the 24 hour place across the street from the market that we had rejected because it was way overpriced at 700 baht. We told her of a resort we thought might exist south of town and she told us we absolutely had to go to a resort just a little bit north on the river. She told us the name, Kiang Khong Resort and it was 500 baht. She said it was really beautiful. She even told us the phone number of the place, (as if we were going to remember it!) The woman was very enthusiastic and seemed really nice. She also didn’t speak a word of English. We told her we’d go look at the resort.

It wasn’t far. Kiang Khong Resort consisted of 10 beautiful wooden bungalows overlooking the Mekong River. The grounds were full of nice plantings. We looked all around and decided which bungalow we’d take. No one was there but a phone number was posted. Andrea called and got a woman who said something to her in Thai and then hung up. We were perplexed but after a very few minutes a pick-up truck pulled in and who should get out but that same woman we met waiting for coffee. We had no idea she was actually the owner! She was thrilled we were there and had already picked out a bungalow. It was already for guests with water in the fridge and towels in a basket. She was organized but she sure needed some customers.

Kiang Khong Resort from the small road in front.

The view from our bungalow. There were some people out on the little island tending their extensive vegetable garden.

These little resorts with their beautiful bungalows are growing on me. And this one had no neighbors anywhere.

The bungalow we chose. it even has a Dok Fai tree with its winter look of no leaves but big poofy yellow flowers.

Dok Fai tree. These trees were around with the dinosaurs.

The Thais are good at miniature water gardens in large clay pots.

The Mekong in the distance from our bungalow.

She left and we had the place and three cats all to ourselves. We had a front porch and a side porch that was very private and faced a pond and beyond that the river. Next to our bungalow was a large dining area with stairs to the roof and a great view of the river. It was sad that no other guests were enjoying the beauty of the place. The dining area was the perfect set up for a large party complete with a bar.

Around dinner time we rode back towards town the way we had come. We rode slowly as we looked for a place to eat. We saw one place that looked like it might be a restaurant although it looked more like a bakery/coffee shop. We rode all the way to the highway without seeing anything more. Most places were closed so we went back to the bakery. The woman there said she could make a few things so we ordered pad siew with pork. As often happens, the woman immediately left on her motorbike for some ingredient. With pad siew it’s usually the wide fresh noodles they don’t have on hand. She quickly returned and made us wonderful dishes.

The cook, of course, wanted to know where we were staying. She thought we had probably gone to the place near the market but we told her it was really expensive. She wanted to know how much and then she acted genuinely appalled that it was 700 Baht which confirmed my suspicions that the owners had sized us up and inflated the price. We told her Kiang Khong was much cheaper and way way nicer.

Returning from dinner we came across these palms which are yet another kind we haven't encountered before.

We returned to our nice peaceful bungalow and sat on one of its porches waiting for the frogs to start croaking from the pond in front of us. Andrea told me what I already knew had been gnawing at her; she needed to return home to be with her daughter who was pregnant with twins. As the days had ticked by Andrea had been getting more and more nervous that she wouldn’t be there for Molly, her daughter, if complications arose. I completely understood. The hard part for me then was to decide if I wanted to accompany her back to The States or stay in Asia until our original end date of Feb. 29th. The frog chorus began and we both sat there deep in thought about what would come next for us and our trip. The frogs were marvelous as darkness enveloped us.

lovebruce

From our porch. The frog pond and Mekong beyond.

The frog pond connects with the river and actually flows in the wet season.

Today's ride: 33 miles (53 km)
Total: 1,105 miles (1,778 km)

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Marsha HanchrowClassic cliffhanger. If I didn't know this was real, I'd think you were writing fiction. You're always within a day or so ride of an airport?
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4 years ago

Andrea BrownTo Marsha HanchrowTransportation in Thailand is excellent, with buses, trains, and small regional airports everywhere. Your bus might be from 1967 with chrome decorations but it’ll get you to a bigger bus station in a few hours.
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4 years ago